Why 'The Social Network' Star Flat-Out Refused to Return for Aaron Sorkin's Sequel
Jesse Eisenberg may have played Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film, The Social Network, but that doesn't mean he's a fan of the Facebook founder.
Earlier this week, Jeremy Strong appeared as Zuckerberg in the official trailer for The Social Reckoning. This upcoming film is a sequel and companion piece to the 2010 Academy Award-winning movie.
Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter for The Social Network, will return as the writer and director. He recently spoke to Vanity Fair about the film.
The screenwriter admitted he spent three days trying to convince Eisenberg to reprise his role as Zuckerberg.
"I felt like it belonged to him, and he was certainly battle-tested," Sorkin shared. "He simply did not want to be conflated with Mark Zuckerberg anymore, that he has his problems with the guy. He doesn't like kids coming up to him in airports with business cards that say ‘I'm CEO, (obscenity). for him to sign."
Eisenberg previously spoke out about his dislike for Zuckerberg. Last year, the actor told BBC Radio 4 that he doesn't follow the CEO's life because "I don't want to think of myself as associated with somebody like that."
Adding, "It's not like I played a great golfer or something and now people think I'm a great golfer," he said. "It's like this guy that's doing things that are problematic - taking away fact-checking and safety concerns, making people who are already threatened in this world more threatened."
Sorkin doesn't have the same issue getting in Zuckerberg's mind.
"I can't judge Mark Zuckerberg while I'm writing it," he told Vanity Fair. "You've got to write that character like they're making their case to God why they should be allowed into heaven."
The Social Reckoning stars Mikey Madison, Jeremy AllenWhite, Jeremy Strong, Billy Magnussen, and Betty Gilpin. It's scheduled to hit the big screen on October 9.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 7:05 PM.